Brazilian Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr. arrives to test a NASCAR truck in Rockingham, N.C., Oct. 12. Rain prevented Piquet from testing that day, but the trend of F1 drivers dabbling in NASCAR has not been fleeting. F1 veterans Jarno Trulli and Mika Salo were set to test stock cars Tuesday and Wednesday for Michael Waltrip racing.

By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY

Formula One is regarded as the world's foremost racing circuit, but dabbling in NASCAR by a few F1 refugees has some playfully questioning that reputation.

"I've heard it said that F1 is now the feeder system for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," Toyota Racing Development president Lee White said with a laugh. "Maybe there's a future there."

Though none of the trio has a NASCAR deal, Red Horse Racing owner Tom DeLoach says foreign drivers "could open up a new market" in stock-car racing.

"There are 200 million people in Brazil on the East Coast time zone, and Nelson there is like Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. here," DeLoach said. "Competing against F1 as a truck owner, I know I'm outmatched, but I think I could make it happen. F1 is in a lot of turmoil."

Piquet is considering options in F1, as is Trulli, who was left without a ride last week when Toyota pulled out of the circuit, which has been hit by cutbacks in a down economy. TRD helped arrange the test with MWR, which wants to expand to a fourth Sprint Cup car and has embraced a global approach (MWR director of competition Steve Hallam spent 27 years in F1).

Trulli was intrigued by NASCAR after following the initial struggles of Juan Pablo Montoya.

"That caught me by surprise, and I wanted to see what it is because of those challenges," said Trulli, an F1 driver since 1997. "The car is so bloody different you'd have to work hard to understand what to do and not do."

Salo has driven in F1, CART, the American Le Mans Series and rally cars but was impressed by watching Cup cars run side by side at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"Everything else is similar, but (NASCAR) is completely different," said Salo, whose test stemmed from a chance meeting with MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. "This is more human. In F1, you get fined $10,000 if you bump into somebody. Here's it's part of the series."

Rookie award almost set:

Joey Logano is the favorite to claim 2009 Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors with only Sunday's Ford 400 left on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.

The Connecticut native, at age 19 years, 5 months, 29 days, would be the youngest rookie of the year in the history of the Cup Series. Kyle Busch (No. 18 JGR Toyota) was 20 years, 6 months, 13 days old when he won the title in 2005.

Llewellyn to go full time:

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Peggy Llewellyn, who has raced a limited schedule since qualifying for the 2007 Countdown to the Championship and winning at Dallas, will return full time in 2010 with Mark Lantz Racing.

"I still had the burning desire to race; that never left me," Llewellyn said in a news release. Mark Lantz Racing, which has competed in the All Harley Drag Racing. Association, will be making its debut in the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Glock with new team:

Timo Glock will drive for the new Manor GP team next season in Formula One. The German driver agreed to a two-year contract Tuesday, according to Glock's manager, Hans-Bernd Wersauer.

Glock drove for Toyota the past two seasons but the Japanese automaker has announced it is quitting F1. Glock missed the last three races of the 2009 season after a crash in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix in which he cracked a vertebra.

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